The Salina Journal from Salina, Kansas · Page 32

E4 .SUNDAY. APRIL 22, 2001 THE SALINA JOURNAL • ONLINE TRAVEL Up, up and away Airline Web sites are receiving more business By BRAD FOSS The Associated Press NEW YORK — Visitor traffic grew faster in the past year at the Web sites of major airlines than it did at online travel sites, a new study found. Terry Trippler, a columnist - at -OneTravel.com, said peo- -pie like his brother are to ; blame: Internet-savvy travel; ers who find bargains by us- ing online travel agencies but purchase their tickets : through the airlines. "He browses on our site and then goes and buys his tickets on United so he can get his (frequent flyer) miles," Trippler said of his brother, who also receives a 5 percent discount on United Airline's site. "That is a real carrot on a stick." The two most popular online travel sites, Travelocity and Expedia, still grab more unique visitors — meaning repeat visits by the same person don't count — each month than the top six airline Web sites combined. But analysts and executives believe their dominance will be challenged in the coming years by the airlines. 'Sleeping giants' Airline Web sites are the "sleeping giants" of the online travel sector, says Heidi Kim, an analyst at Jupiter Media Metrix. The research firm released data earlier this month showing unique visitors to airline Web sites increased by 26.1 percent from February 2000 to February 2001, compared with 7 percent growth for online travel agencies. Combined, the number of monthly unique visitors to airline Web sites and online travel agencies grew to 30.1 mUlion in February, compared with 24.4 million a year ago. Air traffic on the Web Many airlines in the United States offer ticketing directly from their Web sites. In the past year, most of the major airlines' Web sites saw an increase In traffic, while traffic on some online travel sites decreased. Southwest Airlines 12 .46 12 .94 2.45 LowestFare.com 1 1.57 |1.13 CheapTickets.oom |1.59 OneTravel.com l0.31 _ 12 .03 American Airlines 11.93 1 2.44 Delta Airlines i Priceline 12.23 1 2.29 Unique visitors In millions II February 2000 §§ February 2001 'Unique visitors am the actual number ol people who visited the reported Web site or online properly at least once in a given month. All unique visitors, at home and at the office, are unduplicaled. ]3.B8 U.S. Alnways il.16 |1.75 Northwest Airlines il.08 1 1.70 i Expedia Travel 6.17 16.80 Travelocity SOURCE: Jupiter Media Metrix Michael Stacy, a senior vice president of consumer marketing at Travelocity, points out Travelocity is still the leading online travel site, with nearly 7 million unique visitors in February More importantly, Stacy said the site's conversion rate — the number of visitors who actually made a purchase — grew to 8.1 percent from 3.9 percent in the past year. Nonetheless, he added, "airlines are getting a little savvier at running their Web sites." Half of Northwest Airline's online ticket sales come from third-party Web sites, but the company is hoping to further reduce this reliance. The airline recently said it would no longer pay commissions to travel Web sites, a move industry watchers be- AP lieve is a harbinger of more intense competition in the future between airlines and online ticket sellers. "We are obviously leery of having new intermediaries coming between us and the customer," said Al Lenza, Northwest's vice president of distribution planning. To better retain existing customers and woo new ones. Northwest offers 8 percent discounts to people who cash- in frequent flyer miles online, gives away 1,000 free miles every time a purchase is made at www.nwa.com and allows passengers to print boarding passes from their computers. United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and other carriers also offer special deals on their Web sites. T MEAT LABELS T CONSUIVIER CORNER Be wise when selecting your lawn, landscaping services CARLA STOVALL Kansas Attorney General # A plan can save time, money and help avoid future disappointments Dear Kansas Consumer: Now that spring has arrived, many consumers are looking for lawn care and/or landscaping services. If you choose the right service for your needs, your lawn or landscaping will add to the overall appearance • of your home. However, choosing the wrong company can lead to expensive problems. Here are some tips to consider: • Select a business with which you are familiar. Talk to neighbors and friends. If you interview a service, ask for references. Then check the company out. Call the references, the Better Business Bureau and my Consumer Protection division for any complaint histories. • Be cautious of door-to-door companies and out-of-state companies. • Have a plan before making contact. What level of service do you want performed to your lawn—just fertilizing and pesticide applications, or do you also want to it mowed and edged? How extensive of a landscape plan do you want? Do you want it installed at one time or in phases? Do you want to start from scratch or do you want the designer to work with existing plant material? Will any type of sprinkler system need to be installed? Having some of these basic questions in mind can save tim and money and help avoid disappointments later. • Read contracts carefully Do not sign any contract under pressure. Know the time length of the contract, the total cost, if it includes a financing agreement and any cancellation policies. Determine whether there are any other charges, such as for additional supplies or equipment. In addition, determine whether th JJ^ourly charges are a flat rate or per crew member. • Determine whether the plant material is under warranty, and if so, for how long. Are specific care instructions provided for each plant involved? Does the warranty cover replacement, labor and/or refund? Are there any exclusions to the warranty such as acts of nature or abuse? Are these exclusions clearly explained in the warranty? • Shop around for the best deal. Prices and quality can vary greatly so make sure you find both the quality and price you can live with. If you have had any problems with lawn care or landscaping services, please contact my Consumer Protection division at 1-800-432-2310. Central National Bank IVIEMBER FDIC 120 E. Main St., Beloit Personal Service in Beloit Nutrition labels on track USDA proposal would apply only to ground meat, poultry By The Associated Press WASHINGTON — The Bush administration is going forward with a proposal to require ground meat to carry nutrition labels similar to those on boxes and cans of processed foods. The requirement was proposed in January during the final days of the Clinton administration. "This proposed rule is important to help consumers make informed dietary decisions," Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman said Wednesday The department extended a public comment period, which was to have expired Wednesday, until July 18. Trade associations and consumer groups told the department they needed more time to prepare a re­ sponse to the proposal. "USDA looks forward to working with all interested parties to ensure that the final rule provides consumers accurate nutritional information," Veneman said. Bush administration officials said they could have legally dropped the meat-labeling plan and written an alternative. The department is required by law to impose nutrition labeling if fewer than 60 percent of stores aren't posting meat nutrition information voluntarily About 55 percent of stores currently post nutrition information for meat. "We're afraid the industry requested an extension of time to try to build a case against expanding nutrition labeling to meat and poultry" said Bruce Silverglade, director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy group. "We hope that the general public will also make use of the time extension to make its views known to the Department of Agriculture." Only ground meat and poultry would have to have labels on their packages under the USDA proposal. For fresh meat cuts such as beef steaks and pork tenderloin, nutrition information could be either on package labels or posted in the supermarket meat case. The department said ground meat varies so significantly in its fat and nutrient content that consumers cannot make comparisons unless each individual package is labeled. A cooked 3-ounce patty of 80 percent lean ground beef has 6 grams of saturated fat, 30 percent of the recommended daily limit for an average person. By comparison, a 93 percent lean patty has half as much fat. A 4- ounce serving of chicken with skin has 3 grams of saturated fat. Without the skin, it has 1 gram. Salute Your Favorite Older American. In Honor of Older American's Month we are teaming up with the Salina Journal to pay tribute to your favorite Senior Citizen! To: Gran From'.Kathy To honor or memorialize a special person in your life, send $5.00 with their name and yours and we'll publish everyone's tribute Sunday, May 13th. additional donation will be used to AO^^tv develop the Arts & G*^a>^\; Crafts Center at The S^^^ Salina Presbyterian Manor. I lb: I From: I Please send $5.00 per tribute I byApril30,2001to: I Salina Presbyterian Manor 2601 E. Crawford, Salina, KS 67401 Amount Enclosed Presbyterian Manors- of Mid-America The way you want to live" Salina Journal Connecting communities wiHi ir\foi7mtion $1,122 ^Ms foiiulrail Saturday iiisht titay over for Salina to Denver fares. paifdng fficpenses! mumtiM in Saiina. ^'li mileage or ps expenses as required witii a Wichita commnte. * Significant restrictions apply. Saturday stay required. Above fares are based on the cheapest posted available as of 4-16-01. Restrictions and limitations may apply. Fares are subject to change without notice. Above lares are the lowest available of all air carriers out of Wichita. For further information, contact your local travel agent today. Their expertise will save you tinie and money. Action Travel 785-827-7777 • 800-777-9915 Salina Travel Agency 785-825-6736 • 800 875 6736 Travel Time 785 825-1155 • 800-747-1287 Uniglobe-Knowles Travel 785-82&-0537 World Travel Center 785-827-0496 Kan Travel 785-263-2604 Plaza Travel II785-984-2587 Belleville Plaza Travel 785-527-2333 Beloit Studio Travel 785-738-6420 • 800-225-6943 Clay Center Kan Travel 785-632-2525 Caacordla Uniglobe-Knowles Travel 785-243-1133 Ellsworth Ahoy Travel 785-472-5757 • 800-788-2469 Fortmiey Carlson Wagonlil Travel Agency 785-784-2223 Junctlott CItf Midway USA Travel 785-238-7158 • 800-359-6872 Travel Time 785-223-6524 Llttilsborg Custom Travel 785-227-2955 • 800-926-3980 Manhattaa AAA Travel & Auto Club 785-776-3131 • 800-579-9470 Creative Travel 785-539-0531 • 800-748-7820 Kansas State Travel 785-537-2451 • 800-678-4532 McPherson Ask Your Travel Agent, LTD 620-241-6093 • 800-999-772^ Custom Travel 620-241-9900 • 800-926-3980 i N^cPherson Travel Center 620-241-5830 • 800-748-81l|/